Alert: Important Information for Parents: Pink Eye Alert

We are experiencing quite a few cases of pinkeye among our Elementary School students. Pinkeye is a contagious eye infection caused by a virus or bacteria. Symptoms of pinkeye include:

redness of the white part of the eye

redness inside the upper or lower eyelids

itching, burning or pain in the eye

clear, yellow or green discharge from the eye

Pinkeye is spread by contact with another person who has pinkeye or by touching something an infected person has touched. In order to prevent the spread of pinkeye in our school, it is important to keep any child home who is exhibiting any of the symptoms of pink eye and to consult your healthcare provider for an evaluation of the symptoms. Students diagnosed with pinkeye must complete 24 hours of the recommended treatment before returning to school. In addition to prescribed treatments, using cool or warm compresses on the eyes can provide comfort. Make sure to clean the eye crusts or discharge by wiping from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner using a clean cotton ball or gauze with each wipe.

Additional measures that should be taken to reduce the spread of pinkeye include:

Frequent hand washing, especially after any contact with the infected person’s eyes.

Washing towels and bed linens used by the infected person in hot water separately from the rest of the family’s laundry.

Cleaning common household surfaces which have been touched by the infected person.

Please feel free to contact Mrs. Knoske, our school nurse, if you have any questions. She can be reached by email at knosker@nfschools.org or by calling the office and following the prompts. Thank you for helping to keep our students healthy!